Eventually, the pancakes were eaten, and the suits were constructed.
"You think these might work out, li'l buddy?" Thor asked Lionel.
"Yeah, are you sure about this?" Atticus added.
"I know that they'll work," Lionel replied. "I made it so these were impenetrable, invulnerable, and increase our normal powers by twenty-fold. Not to mention they're equipped with radar and defense systems to fend off anything that we might run into in the Gray Area; as well as ensure we don't get fooled by ANY illusions."
"All right," Drell said as he put his hands on his hips. "Looks like it's time for a field trip into the Other Realm."
"Other Realm..." Cherry repeated. "That name sounds so generic."
"Well, we sometimes call it the Supernatural Realm too," Drell shrugged. "But let's suit you kids up and get a move on."
"Right," Lionel grinned as he climbed into his suit. "Let's do it to it!"
Everyone else soon began to suit up after him.
"You ready to see your parents?" Mo asked Atticus.
"I'm quite sure I was born ready." Atticus firmly nodded.
"Well, then I guess it's now or never." Cherry replied as she and Thor suited up.
"Awright, let's go do this thing!" Thor whooped.
"Let's go, kids." Drell said as he opened the door for them.
And so, the kids rushed in like soldiers going out to war as they hupped themselves along.
"Hup! Hup! Hup! Hup!" Thor chanted on the way inside.
"And so... We boldly go..." Lionel proclaimed as he entered. "Where no hero has gone before."
"Yep..." Thor replied. "This is it."
"The final countdown." Mo added.
"I swear if they end up not being where we gotta go, I'm gonna be very upset." Cherry remarked.
"Just remember, in The Gray Area, not all things are exactly as they appear," Drell advised. "This is why it's best to go with an adult or someone with a higher rank of magical training. Have you got it?"
"Yes!" The others replied.
"Sounds like steam escaping..." Drell mumbled from that as he shut the door behind them which had thunder and lightning go off which startled Patch because he was a dog.
Skippy felt scared as he wore a prototype in Lionel's suit as he walked out ahead of them to test to see if it would work.
"Okay, proto-suit test, take one." Lionel wrote. "And... Action!"
Skippy gulped as he shook a bit.
"Well, go on, Skippy..." Drell said as he pushed his friend over into the Gray Area as they came to the warning border.
Skippy gasped as he fell to his knees as he was in the Gray Area, looking scared to death.
"Have fun!" Drell smiled nonchalantly.
"Nice to know you're concerned." replied Lionel sarcastically as he activated the suits.
"Oh, I am," Drell shrugged. "Skippy can do it though. He loves doing this stuff for me."
Skippy shivered nervously, almost looking like a whimpering puppy as he looked around while traveling the Gray Area. Some monsters looked at him with growls, though they didn't seem to attack him so far.
"I think the suit is working," replied Patch. "So far, none of the creatures have actually attacked him."
Skippy smiled to the others with two thumb's up as he looked back at them. A giant plant monster soon hovered over him and bit down, eating him whole with its giant mouth.
"Skippy!" The others panicked from that.
Drell looked horrified at first before looking nonchalant before he took out a plunger. "Well... He's dead..." he then said. "Time to find a Plan B."
"...It's like every decade you get more and more disturbing..." LJ remarked as something soon shot out and landed in the living room: it was Skippy, still inside the suit, which, apart from being covered in drool, was otherwise unharmed.
"Oh, my God! Are you okay?!" Jessica gasped.
Skippy gave a bit of a weak thumb's up at her before he fell in the middle of the ground.
"Spit him out! Spit him out!" Drell glared as he ran to the plant monster, banging the plunger on it. "Alright, open up!"
"Mm... He was a bit too chewy for my liking..." The plant monster said with a smirk about eating Skippy alive.
"Thank you, Skippy, you were a perfect test monkey." Drell approved.
Skippy gave his friend a look from that.
"At least we know that the suits work," replied Atticus. "Now... We can head in and find my parents at last."
"Right." The others agreed from that as they walked off.
"Gosh... These monsters sure are creepy..." Atticus said. "I guess I should be glad we're not alone."
"Skippy just messaged, he thinks he's gonna sit this one out," Drell said as he checked his crystal ball. "Lazy bones."
"I'm surprised you don't have more friends, with concern like THAT for the fact he almost got eaten..." Lionel said sarcastically as they entered.
"Aw, come on, I knew he'd be fine," Drell replied. "Why else would I sacrifice him out here?"
"Because you're a sadist?" Cherry remarked.
"Hmph..." Drell snorted from that.
"Not like you did anything to prove otherwise..." Mo shrugged. "Anyways, let's get a move on."
"They're this way, right?" Thor asked his uncle.
"Of course," Drell replied. "We just gotta get past the Gray Area's forest and they'll be just over the bridge."
A snake slithered down in front of Cherry with hypnotic eyes.
"Mmf... Mmf..." Cherry shivered before she punched the snake away. "Get outta here, Hissy Face!"
"That's one obstacle down," noted Lionel. "And a whole lot more to go."
"Yep," Drell replied. "Brace yourselves. Especially you, Cherry."
"Why especially me?" Cherry narrowed her eyes. "Because I have bad luck?"
"You don't have bad luck," Drell told her. "I'm sure with Lionel by your side though, he'll help you get through much easier."
"Indeed I shall!" Lionel replied as they ventured further into the Gray Area.
"This place is creepy..." Mo shuddered.
"Hmph... Try visiting Wonderland..." Drell said. "All outsiders there are pretty much put through the wringer whether it be an invader or a little girl."
"With a name like Wonderland though, it sounds... Well... Wondrous..." Atticus replied.
"Trust me, when you meet the Queen of Hearts, Cheshire Cat, Mad Hatter, and the March Hare, you'll wish you stayed home." Drell advised.
The group didn't have a response to that as they continued their trek.
"Okay, what's next?" asked Lionel.
"Well, we're out of the forest, now we gotta cross this bridge," Drell showed them. "Who's good at riddles?"
"Uh, I guess I am, sir?" Cherry replied. "Why do you ask?"
"Because we have to answer some riddles to cross the bridge with the Troll Booth." Drell clarified.
"Oh, good grief..." Lionel groaned as they arrived at the Troll Booth Bridge.
"Halt!" The Troll glared.
"Yeah, yeah, what's up, Roland?" Drell greeted him.
"Hey, buddy," The Troll chuckled. "Where's that Sabrina girl? She's quite the looker."
"Ugh, you are not marrying her!" Drell glared protectively. "She's a teenage witch and you're a thousands of years old troll! It's not gonna happen, especially with me around!"
"We need to cross the bridge," added Lionel. "So make with the riddles!"
"Who is my challenger?" Roland smirked.
Drell plucked Cherry off of the ground and set her in front of him.
"Say, you're kinda cute too," Roland smirked. "I'll let you pass by freely if you wouldn't mind marrying me."
"Ugh! No!" Cherry complained.
"Your loss," Roland replied. "Alright... What word in the English language uses all five vowels plus Y in alphabetical order, and uses each only once?"
Cherry sweat-dropped from that. "Is there a time limit?" she then asked.
"I could add one for ya!" Roland smirked as he took out a stopwatch.
"No, no, that won't be necessary!" Cherry protested, waving her hands frantically.
"All five vowels... And Y... Alphabetical order... And uses each only once?" Lionel exclaimed. "Boy, does this sound tough."
"Can we help her?" Atticus asked.
"She might need it." Roland smirked.
"Come on, Cher... Think... Think!" Cherry gasped.
"Aren't you supposed to start with an easy one?" Drell asked the troll. "Like what has four legs and goes meow?"
"A cow with a sore throat?" Thor guessed from that.
Lionel face-palmed. "That's a cat, not a cow!" he snapped.
"Is cat your final answer?" Roland smirked.
"NO!" The others replied.
"Hmm..." Atticus paused as he poofed up a dictionary to look through it. "This might be cheating, but I feel like it might be a word not in the English language."
"Oh, but it is~" Roland teased.
"Shut it!" Cherry glared.
Lionel flipped through the dictionary and pondered some more.
"Why would Thor say something as dumb as that?" asked Mo.
"It just seems a bit facetious." Patch replied.
At that, Lionel's eyes lit up. "Guys... I think I just figured it out." he said.
"Well?" Roland asked.
The others whispered to Cherry before she stepped over.
"The answer is facetious." Cherry stated with confidence.
"Damn!" Roland complained. "That was my toughest riddle! Urgh... You can all pass."
Everyone whooped and cheered as they crossed the bridge.
"So, how is Sabrina?" Roland asked Drell.
Drell shot him away with a magical blast as he walked off with the others.
"...I think he's warming up to me..." Roland wheezed before he collapsed.
The others walked along for a while before they spotted a cottage in the distance.
"That has to be them, right?" Atticus asked.
"It should be." Drell replied.
"Okay then..." said Lionel. "Let's make sure that it's not some sort of illusion trap."
"Good idea," Atticus replied. "How do we make sure though?"
"Someone go check it out," Cherry said. "Drell, I volunteer you."
"Well, if you insist... Not that there's anything to worry about..." Drell replied as he stepped out to check out the cottage.
The group decided to watch from nearby.
"Wait a second, we could just use our scanners to ensure that this place is the real deal!" Lionel realized.
"Okay... Drell, come back!" Cherry called.
Drell kept going anyway and opened the door and shut it behind him. The others looked to each other from that, especially as it was quiet for a few minutes. There was a roar heard inside the cottage as Drell soon yelled out as he ran right back, looking scared to death and his pants seemed to have the back bitten off and he looked slightly scorched.
"...It was the wrong place, wasn't it?" Lionel asked.
"There's a freakin' dragon in there!" Drell glared at Cherry. "Next time you go in the cottage! I don't care if it's the real deal or not!"
"Heh... Whoops..." Cherry smiled sheepishly.
A young-looking purple dragon flew out with a glare, though he seemed to have a collar around his neck like a pet.
"Greetings... Mr. Dragon..." Atticus gulped.
"Oh, you were scared of this little go?" Mo cooed. "He looks cute!"
"Careful, guys," replied Lionel as he scanned the dragon. "This could be another obstacle."
The dragon growled a bit as he landed in front of them. Everyone else soon hid behind Drell for protection. The dragon stepped out a bit.
"What's going on out there, Spyro?" A male voice asked from in the cottage.
"Is it a home invader?" A female voice added.
"Those voices..." Atticus whispered with tears in his eyes. "Mom...? Dad...?"
Lionel gave another quick scan of the cottage, picking up two separate heat signatures from inside. "...Yep. They're the real deal, according to the scanners." he replied.
"Atticus, you never told me your parents had a pet dragon." Thor smiled obliviously.
Atticus slowly turned his head at the warlock teen with a look of deadpan. "If I were Moe from The Three Stooges, I'd knock your block off." he then told him.
"Eh, sorry, buddy..." Thor smiled nervously with a cartoony voice.
"Awright, you mugs, let's get on inside." Lionel told the both of them.
"Agreed." Atticus replied.
The dragon soon flew into the cottage as the others came in after it as Drell changed his clothes with his magic so he would be fine.
"Whoever it was, they must be gone now," The man of the house told his wife as they sat in the kitchen. "I hate living here though."
"I miss all our friends," The woman pouted. "I don't think there's anyone though I miss as much as our children."
"That must be difficult, ma'am," Lionel replied. "Though I have a particularly good feeling that your luck is about to change."
The couple soon got to their feet and grabbed whatever they could to use as weapons.
"Hey, Patty Cakes." Drell said to the man.
"Drell? I thought you didn't hang around the Gray Area anymore." The man said to him.
"I don't, but I have a gift for you and the lovely lady." Drell said with a low bow of his head.
And at that, Lionel, Cherry, Mo, Thor, and Atticus stepped forth, taking off their helmets to reveal their faces. The couple held onto each other as they looked right at Atticus.
"You have your mother's eyes." Mo smiled at Atticus.
Atticus blushed a bit before looking over with tearful eyes. "Mommy... Daddy..." he whispered emotionally.
The couple came around him before they all shared a family hug as they all ended up crying.
Lionel smiled. "I just love these happy moments," he remarked. "Especially since they don't come around too often."
"Too true." Thor had to agree.
Drell smiled as he was about to walk off only for Atticus's father to grab him and pull him into the tearful hug. "Alright, I'm all for family reunions, but this is going on too long!" he then told them.
"Strange as it sounds, Drell is right," Mo replied. "We need to get you out of here before Sombra rears his ugly head again!"
Drell soon broke out of the group hug.
"Yeah, we should go," Atticus sniffled a bit as he wiped his eyes. "Mom and Dad... Ooh, that feels weird to say..."
"Yeah, let's go... Erm... Mr. and Mrs. Atticus's parents..." Cherry said to the couple.
"Mr. and Mrs. Fudo, we were told that you had been imprisoned here by Sombra," explained Lionel. "That's why we came: to get you two out!"
"We have," Atticus's father replied. "I guess you could try to help us out, but if you have magic, it might come out strangely."
"Yes, be careful." Atticus's mother added.
"Don't worry," Thor smirked. "We can get you out of here like a bobcat missing dinner reservations."
"...What?!" Cherry asked.
"Sorry, my little sister watches weird cartoons a lot," Thor said sheepishly. "Let's just get out of here while we still have the time."
Lionel nodded, and they led Atticus' parents out.
"Alright, we can get back to the exit if we hustle." said Patch.
"Oh! Hi, doggy." Atticus's mother smiled.
"Hi, there," Patch smiled before gulping as he saw Spyro. "Erm... Hello there to you too."
"Come on, Patrick and Emily," Drell told the couple. "We'll talk after we're through here."
"Right." The couple replied.
And so they made their way back to the entrance point.
"...In order to make sure nothing goes wrong, I'm just gonna say that this was... An alright mission." replied Lionel.
"It truly was..." Mo added. "I'm glad we met you... Uh... Atticus, what was your last name before Clark adopted you?"
"Fudo." Atticus replied.
"Right," Mo said. "I'm glad we met you, Mr. and Mrs. Fudo."
"Likewise," Patrick smiled. "You seem like a nice girl."
Mo blushed happily from that.
"Well, we can chat more once we're back in the Mortal Realm." said Lionel.
"Yeah, we can't waste too much time in the Gray Area," Drell replied. "It'll start getting trippy like when I borrowed potions from that wizard from when Patrick and I were boys when we had stress."
"Right, Drell, I remember..." Patrick nodded.
"Xanax..." The two memorized from their childhood during the Middle Ages.